Release Documentation

Beaumont Independent School District pulled it's continuing education Adult Cosmotology Course on September 10th, 2012 after more than a decade of operating it, after collecting registration fees and holding a day of class. On September 13, 2012, allegations surfaced from an program instructor that the course offered through Beaumont Independent School District’s Taylor Career and Technology Center was closing because Principal Thomas Amons would rather close the program than admit a man Amons thought was gay after a brief encounter with the prospective student on the first day of class Sept 10. After Cequada Clark was interviewed by a local media outlet, she was relieved of her teaching position. National media attention resulted from the allegations and the local community organized to plan a protest. BISD released a statement on the morning of September 14, 2012 that the program was cut due to budgetary restraints. BISD released a statement the same evening that they would, in fact, be offering the course as long as the minimum number of students were enrolled and insured that the allegations of discrimination were false. We demand documentation that Principal Amons followed standard BISD protocol in cancelling the course to begin with and that if such documentation doesn't exist, he be removed from his position, that the program be reinstated, that Cequada Clark be returned to her teaching position and that a formal apology be issued to Kwmane Gray from the school district.

Letter to

Jessie Haynes

Principal, Taylor CenterThomas Amons

Miranda M. Swiderski

and 5 others

Esther Rodriguez

Joy Gauthia

BISD SuperintendentBeaumont Independent School District

Richard Cantu

Philip Brooks

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Beaumont Independent School District's Taylor Center and Technology Center.

----------------Release Documentation

We demand documentation that Principal Amons followed standard BISD protocol in cancelling the course to begin with and that if such documentation doesn't exist, he be removed from his position, that the program be reinstated, that Cequada Clark be returned to her teaching position and that a formal apology be issued to Kwmane Gray from the school district.----------------